MOBILE, Ala. – After playing its first home match in over two weeks on Tuesday, the University of South Alabama volleyball team returns to the road this weekend when the Jaguars head to Atlanta, Ga., to compete in the Georgia State Invitational.  USA will begin tournament action Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) when it opens up with Mercer at the GSU Sports Arena.  The Jaguars will then face Samford (10 a.m. [CT]) and the host Panthers (6 p.m. [CT]) on Saturday.

“All four of our tournaments during the non-conference portion of our schedule are helping us grow as we move towards conference play.” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  “This weekend, we have three completely different (types) opponents than what we’ve played this season and I feel that it’s a very balanced group of opponents.”

Live stats for all three of the Jaguars’ matches can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  

The Jaguars come into this weekend’s action after picking up a 3-0 sweep of Nicholls State on Tuesday in their home opener.  With the win, South Alabama improved to 3-4 on the year and snapped both a three-match season and series skid to the Colonels.  

Freshman outside hitter Savannah Stewart led the club against NSU with 11 kills - her fourth-straight match to lead the team in that category and her fifth in seven matches this season.  Stewart currently leads the team in that category with 68 kills and 2.72 per set.  The Ladera Ranch, Calif., native also posted her most efficient hitting match of the season against Nicholls as she registered a .526 attack percentage.  Stewart also leads the Jaguars from behind the service line with nine aces this season (0.36 per set - tied for third in the SBC).

Through the first two weeks of the 2012 campaign, junior libero Jenna Hassell has been stellar in the back court.  She currently leads the club and ranks sixth in the SBC in digs with 4.59 per set.  She has twice earned all-tournament honors and this past weekend at the Active Ankle Challenge - hosted by Saint Louis - averaged 4.91 dps.  She currently ranks sixth on the Jaguars’ career dig list with 886.  As a team, USA ranks second in the league in digs with 15.84, just behind Troy.

This weekend will mark the first of two-straight in which the Jags will compete in the state of Georgia.  USA will compete at the Springhill Suites Invitational hosted by Georgia Southern (Sept. 13-15).

Mercer comes into action this weekend with a 2-2 overall mark.  On Tuesday night, the Bears were swept 3-0 at Georgia Southern, falling 25-22, 25-18 and 25-21.  

Prior to the loss to the Eagles, MU posted a 2-1 mark over the weekend at the Willie Jewell’s Volleyball Invitational hosted by Charleston Southern.  

Freshman outside hitter Molly Locke paces the club offensively with 46 kills.  She is averaging 3.29 per set - which is tied for fifth in the Atlantic Sun - and hitting .256.  Locke has also been solid defensively as she ranks third on the club with 3.21 dps.

Junior libero Emily Rochefort paces the club and ranks second in the A-Sun with 4.86 digs per set.

As a team, Mercer has been tough on the defensive side of the net.  Opponents are hitting just .154 on the year - which leads the league.  The Bears also rank second in digs with 17.07 per set.
Samford enters the GSU tournament this weekend with a 1-5 record on the year.  The Bulldogs are scheduled to host North Alabama on Wednesday, before heading to Georgia.

Last weekend, Samford went 1-2 at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky., falling 3-1 to both Duke and Louisville, but picked up a straight-set victory over Marshall.

The Bulldogs are coming off a stellar season a year ago in which they finished with a 29-5 record, earned a berth in the NCAA tournament and captured both the Southern Conference North Division and tournament titles.  The club was picked to repeat in the SoCon preseason poll prior to the start of the season.

Offensively this season, SU has been led by Elizabeth Neisler.  The senior outside hitter is averaging 3.04 kills per set - eighth in the league.  Neisler, along with Lauren Hutchinson and Katie Murphy were preseason all-SoCon selections.  Senior libero Alexis Bauer paces the club in the back court with her 4.33 dps - seventh in the conference.

Georgia State enters its home tournament after falling to 1-6 on Tuesday with a 3-1 road loss at UAB.  The Panthers have already faced two opponents from the Sun Belt the season and hold a 3-0 win over Troy and a 3-0 loss to North Texas.

Freshman Sydney Hunsley’s 2.04 kills per set leads the club offensively.  Dede Bohannon sits just outside of two kills at 1.94 kps.  

On the defensive side of the net, Emily Averbeck has been stellar as junior libero’s 5.30 dps rank second in the Colonial Athletic coming into the weekend.  Eliza Zachary is sixth in the league in blocks with 1.17 per set.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTES: The meeting this weekend between South Alabama and Mercer will mark the fifth meeting between the two programs with the series tied 2-2.  The Jaguars and the Bears last met during the 2007 season where Mercer picked up a 3-1 win in Macon.  Against current members of the Atlantic Sun, USA holds an all-time record of 20-28-1.  The Jaguars are also scheduled to face Jacksonville nest weekend in Statesboro, Ga.  The match with Samford will mark the 20th meeting between the two schools and the 34th time USA has faced a current Southern Conference opponent.  The Jaguars hold a 10-9 in the all-time series with the last meeting coming back during the 2007 season a 3-1 Bulldog victory at the Loco’s Invitational in Birmingham.  USA will also face fellow Southern Conference member Georgia Southern next week at the Springhill Suites Invitational.  The Jags hold a 17-16 all-time mark versus the SoCon.  The match with Georgia State and South Alabama will mark third between the two schools and the first since the 2002 season.  In that meeting, GSU picked up a 3-0 win in Atlanta.  The match will also be just the fourth for the Jags against a Colonial Athletic Association opponent.  South Alabama holds a 1-1 all-time mark versus the league.  This weekend’s meeting between GSU and USA will also mark the start of an annual matchup between the two clubs as the Panthers are scheduled to join the Sun Belt next fall.

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